[mplpost] Rap - the folk music of today?

[Jesse Kumagai]

It is truly a credit to the man that he is being remembered as "the voice 
of Canada".

And now the new thread...

Last night after several drinks, I engaged in a discussion where I argued 
that rap and hip hop music is the "folk" music of today, and thought I'd 
throw it out to the list to get some (potentially horrified) reaction.

My argument is simply this:  Folk music is a medium of societal and 
political expression, often produced by people of the working class.  The 
acoustic guitar was, and still is, one of the most inexpensive and 
accessible instruments available, and stands on its own without elaborate 
accompaniment.  The combination of voice and acoustic guitar enabled 
generations to create and share music of significance without the trappings 
of plugged-in sound or large ensembles.

By comparison, rap and hip hop music is also about societal and political 
expression.  In place of the acoustic guitar, we have turntables and 
microphones - equally accessible and affordable.  And, I would argue that 
this form of music will, like folk music before it, enable generations to 
create and share music of significance.

Thoughts?

Jesse Kumagai
Administrative Coordinator, Music
Harbourfront Centre
Tel.  416 973 3735
Fax. 416 973 8729
mailto:jesse@harbourfront.on.ca
http://www.harbourfront.on.ca
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada  M5J 2G8

-
To unsubscribe: mail majordomo@icomm.ca with
"unsubscribe maplepost" in the body (not the subject line)
Need help? mail owner-maplepost@icomm.ca